Processing of pellet-shaped articles (e.g., tablets), such as marking the articles with indicia, coloring the articles, laser drilling holes in the articles, and/or coating the articles, is known in the art. The articles may be transported past one or more processing stations (e.g., printing, inspection, drilling, etc.) by carrier bars provided with one or more article receiving pockets.
In a typical application, the carrier bars are transported along a conveyer including a portion that transitions from a generally horizontal portion to a generally vertical portion to allow removal of the articles from the pockets, i.e., removal aided by gravity. In some instances, one or more articles stick or adhere to their respective pocket (e.g., coating or marking on the article at least partially adheres to the pocket), which prevents the article from falling out of the pocket as the carrier bar travels along the generally vertical portion of the conveyer. Accordingly, one or more articles may not be properly discharged into the proper chute or outlet for further processing (e.g., distribution).
Thus, there is a need in the art for an improved method and apparatus for transporting articles that do not suffer from the above-mentioned drawbacks.